Valise with permutation lock



May 5, 1953 A. v. PIETRI VALISE wrm PERMUTATION LOCK 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed July 3, 1952 I E INVENTOR 1440404 M Pz'et'ra' ATTORNEYI 5, 1953 A. v. PIETRI 2,637,194

VALISE WITH PERMUTATION LOCK Filed July 3, 1952 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTORH 44% K Put/z G *0 mu; 0.01pm m Patented May 5, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to hand carried receptacles or containers, such as valises for carrying articles of personal apparel or brief cases for carrying papers or documents, and more particularly to a portable container, such as a valise 'or brief case, having thereon a permutation housing formed directly in one of the frames and lock means carried by such one frame and engagin detents on the complementary frame to lock the frames in valise-closing position relative to each other; which includes a permutation lock of simplified construction positively controlling the movements of an associated lock bolt from its locking to its releasing position; which provides a handle on the frame carrying the lock means positioned to extend over and protect the dials of the permutation lock; and which is simple and durable in construction, economical in construction, positive and effective in operation, and neat and attractive in appearance.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following description and the appended claim in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of the upper portion of a valise illustrative of the invention with the valise shown in closed condition;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the valise in open condition;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary cross sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary cross sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a lock bolt constituting an operative component of the valise;

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 with the lock bolt rotated through 90 from the position illustrated in Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the valise with portions removed and broken away to better illustrate the construction thereof and with the valise shown in closed condition; Figure 8 is a fragmentary elevational view similar to Figure 7 but showing the valise in released condition; and

Figure 9 is a fragmentary cross sectional view on an enlarged scale on the line 9-9 of Figure 1.

With continued reference to the drawings, the valise comprises a pair of U-shaped frames Ill and II pivotally interconnected at their opposite ends by hinge pins I2 and I3 for movement between the valise-closing position illustrated in Figure land the valise-opening position illustrated in Figure 2. A bag I4 of flexible material is secured at its open end to the frames I0 and I I, in a manner well known to the art and is preferably formed of a flexible, synthetic sheet material provided in one piece by a suitable molding operation.

The frames I0 and II are also preferably formed of a synthetic material by suitable molding or die casting operation and the frame I0 is provided on its outer edge with a flange l5 extending from the frame Ill towards the frame I l and extending around the outer edge of the frame I I when the frames are in the closed position relative to each other illustrated in Figure 1. The frame II] is also provided with a U-shaped carrying handle I6 intermediate its length and with a lock housing space I1 between the ends of the U-shaped handle. At the ends of its intermediate portion the frame Ill is provided with hollow formations I8 and I9 providing sockets spaced from the corresponding ends of the lock housing I"! and opening at their ends nearest the adjacent ends of the lock housing. An elongated lock bolt 20, preferably of square cross sectional shape, extends through the lock housing I! and is slidably received at its opposite ends in the sockets I8 and i9, these sockets also being of square cross sectional shape to maintain the bolt 20 against rotational movements relative to the frame [0.

The outer edge of the intermediate portion of the frame I I passes under the side of the bolt 20 remote from the handle I6 and nearest the pivotal connections I2 and I3 when the frames are closed together and pins 2| and 22 project from the outer edge of the intermediate portion of the frame I] at spaced apart locations along this intermediate portion.

The lock bolt 20 is provided with spaced apart, L-shaped grooves 23 and 24 in its sides adjacent the outer edge of the intermediate portion of the frame I I when the frames are closed together and when the lock bar is in its releasing position the pins 2| and 22 pass freely into and out of the grooves 23 and 24 respectively and when the lock bolt is in its locking position the pins 2| and 22 are retained in the grooves 23 and 24 and cannot pass out of these grooves to permit separation of the frames ii] and ii to open the valise.

Knobs 25 and 26 project from the side of the bolt 26 remote from the frame it) at spaced apart locations along the bolt for use in manually sliding the bolt between its locking and releasing positions.

Detents, as indicated at 28, 29 and 30 project from the side of the bolt 28 nearest the handle l6 and are disposed within the lock housing I! and at spaced apart locations along the bolt. The fixed wall of the lock housing is provided with studs 3 l, 32 and 33 disposed at spaced apart locations along the housing and spacedfrom the side of the bolt .28 from which the detents 28, 29 and 36 project and discs 34, 35 and 35 having centrally disposed apertures are journaled on the studs 3!, 32 and respectively with their peripheral surfaces adjacent the side of the bolt 20 from which the detents project. These discs are provided with detent receiving, radial notches 37, 38 and 3% respectively and the loci; bolt 20 can be moved from its locking position to its releasing position only when all of the notches 3?, 38 and 39 are in position to receive the corresponding studs 28, 2i; and 33, as illustrated in Figure '7 When the bolt 28 is in its releasing position the detents do not completely leave the corresponding notches so that the notches are retained in position to receive the detents, as illustrated in Figure 8, and the bolt can thus be manually moved from its releasing to its locking position without first setting the discs so that their notches will receive the corresponding detents.

Numbered dials d6, 4i and 152 in the form of fiat, circular discs having central apertures, are journaled on the studs 3:, 32 and 33 respectively at corresponding sides of the discs 3d, 35 and 36 and are secured to the associated discs for rotating the latter. These dials project marginally through the side of the lock housing I! nearest the handle it and are preferably roughened on their peripheral edges so that they can be easily rotated by engagement of a thumb or finger with the peripheral edges thereof and will rotate the associated notched discs.

When the dials Gil, 4| and 62 have beenbrought to positions such that selected numbers thereon are visible beyond the edge of the lock housing adjacent the handle it the notches in the discs 34, 35 and 36 will be in position to receive the corresponding studs 28, 29 and 30 but it is not probable that the discs can be brought to this position without use of the predetermined combination of the lock.

The lock housing I! opens to the side of the frame It adjacent the frame H and to the edge of the frame Ill adjacent the handle [6 and a cover plate 45 of inverted L cross sectional shape is secured to the frame it] in covering relationship to the open side and edge of the'lock housing, as illustrated in Figure 5. The studs or rivets 3i, 32 and 33 extend through apertures in the cover plate 45 and these studs are provided with rounded heads, as'indicated at 46 and 47, one at each end of each stud.

The frames in and II are provided around their inner edges with longitudinally extending grooves, as indicated at 48 in Figure 4 to receive the edge of the flexible bag M at the open end of the bag.

With the above described arrangement, the valise can be locked in closed condition and cannot be opened until the dials ill, 4| and 42 are brought to predetermined position as indicated by the numbers thereon to release the lock bolt for movement from its locking to its releasing position. The lock bolt can, however, be manually moved from its releasing to its locking position to lock the valise in closed condition and after the bolt has been moved to its locking condition, the dials can be rotated to throw the lock off of the combination so that the valise cannot be opened by an unauthorized person.

The invention may be embodied in other speeific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claim rather than by he foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claim are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:

A valise comprising a pair or" U-shaped frames pivotally interconnected at their ends for opening and closing movements relative to each other, a handle on one of said frames, said one frame having a lock housing therein between the ends of said handle and opening to one side thereof and having sockets spaced from the respectively opposite ends or said lock housing and opening toward the latter, a loci: bolt extending hrough said housing and slidably received at its ends in said sockets, the other of said frames having its intermediate portion dispos d adjacent the side of said bolt nearest the pivotal connections between said frames when said frames are closed together, pins projecting towards said bolt from said other frame at spaced apart locations along the intermediate portion, said bolt having L- shaped grooves therein through which said pins pass when said bolt is in its releasing position relative to said one frame and in which said pins are retained when said bolt is in its locking position relative to said one frame, detents projecting from said bolt within said lock housing and at spaced apart locations along said bolt, discs mounted in said housing adjacent said bolt for rotation about spaced apart axes and each having a detent receiving notch therein, said discs restraining said bolt from movement from its looking to its releasing position except when the notches in said discs are all in position to receive corresponding detents on said bolt, number dials ecured one in each disc at one side of the latter for rotation about the rotational axes of the corresponding discs and projecting marginally from said housing at the side of the latter adjacent said handle, and a cover secured to said one frame in closing relation hip to the open side of said lock housing.

ADOLPH VICTOR PIETRI.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 58,467 Paddock Oct. 2, 1866 741,639 Emert Oct. 20, 1903 1,396,550 Beaver Nov. 8, 1921 

